Years before Vixen Coffee was even a whisper in my consciousness, I was on a determined mission to find the ultimate caffeine hit.
Along with another fellow student during my Uni days, we realised that if we mix a mug filled with instant coffee and Milo (dubbed a miloccino ... and obviously a free option at the cafeteria which was always a bonus) then set a 45 minute timer on our phones and had a nap in the carpark, we would wake up refreshed for a full late afternoon of classes and more studying late into the night.
I used to buy sugar-free Red Bull by the caseload when working as many hours as possible at 3 different jobs during the summer time to save as much as possible to get me through the semesters (the withdrawals I experienced going cold turkey after that convinced me never to go near any energy drinks again).
Of course, one of my first part-time jobs at the tender age of 15 was working in a local neighbourhood cafe as a Barista, which gave me access to fuel my caffeine hunger and obviously developed into a full-blown love affair with coffee over the next couple of decades.
To me, there is just something so decadent about a well-poured coffee straight from the coffee machine. The way the water mixes with the ground coffee beans and flows through the basket just tucking itself in ever so slightly as it goes into the cup, the swirl of the perfect golden crema at the bottom of its own little waterfall as the cup starts filling, my brain already excited for that caffeine surge of bliss and energy about to hit. Yeah ... maybe slightly obsessed.
That obviously meant that over the years I have tried the almost endless options out there all promising a huge kick of caffeine, even taking my search all the way to New York. The lure of a small boutique roastery boasting the biggest caffeine boost possible, my husband and I bought some online and the second it arrived we had one, which happened to be a usual weekday morning rushing out the door and drinking it on my way to work.
I thought I had my caffeine intake pretty well high enough but there is no other way to describe it ... I was HIGH. Stuck in Auckland traffic on my way to a meeting I swear I could almost taste colours. It was in this moment I realised that there is a line ... and I just crossed it.
I had to apologise to my work colleagues; I was on a different level. A MILLION miles an hour in my brain and tripping over words as I couldn't get them out fast enough. Luckily I explained and they laughed and I hope all was forgiven. I still cringe thinking about it years later, but it gave me an important lesson when crafting my own coffee blends.
So long story short, this is why I created the Grizzly blend. It's a juicy hit that delivers a more powerful punch of coffee than most other blends on the market. And the "low-and-slow" method to achieve a lovely light-medium roast ensures there is no bitterness or loss of caffeine unnecessarily. Not for the caffeine-sensitive; this is a maximum delivery of chocolatey brown liquid gold that will have you achieving anything you need without the full body jitters ... or tasting colours.
The Grizzly blend is fast-becoming a favourite with customers. Would love to know what you think, so give it a go and let me know!